25 November 2020

Guy Barnett, Minister for Energy

Taking action to develop a renewable hydrogen industry in Tasmania

The Tasmanian Government is charging ahead to secure our renewable energy future by developing a renewable hydrogen industry in Tasmania.

Today, we are releasing the Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan Status Report that outlines how we are tracking in implementing the 25 Actions under our Plan.

Tasmania is well placed to become Australia’s renewable hydrogen epicentre, with the potential to inject billions into our economy and create thousands of Tasmanian jobs, many in regional areas.

Last week, we announced our $2.6 million investment for the feasibility of three large-scale renewable hydrogen projects in Tasmania, as part of our $50 million Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program - a backbone of our Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Action Plan.

But the Funding Program is part of a much bigger picture, and we have been working hard behind the scenes to secure Tasmania’s renewable hydrogen future.

The Status Report outlines:

• the delivery of our Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program;
• a series of investigations underway to examine the opportunities for domestic hydrogen use in Tasmania;
• work to develop the Bell Bay Advanced Manufacturing Zone, and other suitable sites, as potential hydrogen hubs;
• leading the development of a hydrogen community education and engagement strategy nationally;
• ongoing trade and investment work undertaken by the Office of the Coordinator-General; and
• progressing work to prepare Tasmanian workers to have the necessary skills to support a future hydrogen industry.
  The Status Report will be updated periodically to keep the Tasmanian community informed about the important work we are doing to secure Tasmania’s renewable energy future.

Tasmania’s renewable energy sector will play a vital role as we continue to recover and rebuild from COVID-19 and move towards our 200 per cent by 2040 Tasmanian Renewable Energy Target.

We are well on the way to achieve our vision for Tasmania to be a world-leader in large-scale renewable hydrogen production for domestic use and export.

The status report is available at: https://renewablestasmania.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/275581/Public_Reporting_on_Implementation_of_the_TRHAP_-_V0.1.pdf

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